Breath Of Life
by MarieBright
Summary: In the dark era of the Third Wizard War, fate gives a second chance to the Half-Blood Prince's unrequited love. Lily Luna Potter faces the cruelty of world; pain.. loss.. the countless of deaths.. and the only thing everyone begs for is salvation. All everyone desperately needs is a breath of life to be redeemed, to rest in peace. However, the darkness is too impervious this time..
1. Prologue

**I own nothing from the epic Harry Potter thing :) just this plot here. Enjoy :)**

* * *

_Why should I be afraid to die? I belong to you.  
If I go first, I'll wait for you there, on the other side of the dark waters.  
Be with me now.._

_-The Thin Red Line_

* * *

**Prologue**

_Severus Snape was born on 9 January, 1960. He was the son of Eileen Prince, a pure-blood witch, and Tobias Snape, a Muggle. That made him a half-blood wizard. Severus, whose father was neglectful and possibly even violent, began to identify with his mother's family and created a secret nickname from his mother's maiden name, calling himself "the Half-Blood Prince."_

_Severus grew up at Spinner's End, a shabby suburb of Cokeworth. This area of town was located nearby a dirty river and full of dilapidated houses, disused factories and broken down street lamps. Throughout the rest of his life, Severus continued to return there when he was not at school. As a child, Severus was apparently neglected from his father's side and his parents often fought with one another. He could not wait to leave for Hogwarts at the end of the summer._

_Respectively, Lily Evans was born to Mr. and Mrs. Evans, two Muggles of the Evans family, on 30 January, 1960. She had an older sister named Petunia. _

_Lily and her family likely lived in the same town, close to Spinner's End. After watching her for some time, Severus noticed her evident magical abilities and at the age of nine began making friendly overtures. The two bonded quickly and it appears that he was very interested in Lily right from the beginning, though she only regarded him as a good friend. During this time he also developed contempt towards her older sister, Petunia. This was most likely because she made disparaging comments about his ill-fitting clothes and poverty-stricken neighborhood. Originally, Petunia and Lily were quite close, but Lily's magical abilities and her friendship with Severus caused problems between the sisters._

_Information from Severus' own memories of his first interactions with Lily and Petunia suggests that he was an awkward child with poor social skills. Even when it was important to him to make a good impression, he always seemed to have trouble doing so. Lily on the other hand was kind of social child._

_At the age of eleven, in 1971, they both attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Lily was sorted into Gryffindor and Severus into Slytherin House. On the way to Hogwarts for his first year, Severus sat with Lily on the train, where they met James Potter and Sirius Black. This hostile first encounter would set the tone for the antagonism between the three of them for the rest of their lives._

_Within a short time, Lily became quite skilled at Potions and Charms, attracting the attention of Horace Slughorn, Potions Professor at that time, who made her a member of his Slug Club. Severus instead, according to Sirius Black, excelled at the Dark Arts from an early age. At the age of eleven, he knew more curses and hexes than most of the seventh year students. As a result, Severus created a good number of popular spells. _

_James Potter and his group of friends were constantly at war with Severus throughout their school years. Severus' memories, recorded in the Pensieve, suggest that he was an introverted and studious individual, whereas James was arrogant, popular and athletic. Immediately upon meeting him, James disliked Severus for expressing a desire to be in Slytherin. James' big crush on Lily, and Severus' close friendship and unrequited love for her also heightened the tension between the two._

_One recorded memory in the Pensieve bears witness to James bullying Severus, turning him upside-down to reveal his underwear in front of many students, including Lily. Lily stood up for Severus and attempted to stop James' bullying. Snape lashed out at her in his humiliation, calling her a "Mudblood". Severus begged for Lily's forgiveness and she, in turn, asked him if he still intended to join the Death Eaters. When he did not deny this, Lily realized that Snape did not understand what was wrong with the Death Eaters. She refused to forgive him..._

"Remember" she said with a deep beautiful voice, and Lily Luna Potter couldn't do anything but stare at the woman's face, speechless. "In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths of life you took untill you died, but how many moments _in life_ took your breath away" Lily swallowed the pain and blinked her tears away. The woman's bright green eyes were full of wisdom and kindness, locked to Lily's crummy gaze.

"A- and what about now?" Lily's voice had lost its warmth and the melodious tune it used to have back in the old happy days. Now, all Lily could hear was a rough hoarseness. It was awful. "W- what am I doing now?"

"Now?" the woman asked surprised, like the answer was somehow obvious and Lily should already know. A smile formed to the woman's lovely face and she inhaled quietly. "Now, you'll go back and fight"

"And him? What about him?"

"He will be by your side" the woman whispered, then she bent a little bit closer to Lily's face. "Though he always was, right?"

"Yes" murmured Lily tired. "Ηe always was" How could she be so blind? She knew from the very beginning. She knew from the time she first saw him in his black clothing. She always knew. "Always"

* * *

**Hey everyone :) I'm pretty thrilled that I started sharing my fic here with you. Honestly, I didn't expect me to, but I'm glad I did. Huge thanks to the Harry Potter Wiki that owns the Severus Snape - Lily Evans information :D  
****Reviews are welcome :)****  
**

**Fanfic Themes:  
watch?v=xOm2fLucQ9g  
watch?v=sb128ypOvLE  
**


	2. Chapter 1

**I do not own Harry Potter and that's so sad! Anyway, enjoy :)**

* * *

_Why should I be afraid to die? I belong to you.  
If I go first, I'll wait for you there, on the other side of the dark waters.  
Be with me now.._

_-The Thin Red Line_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Lily Luna Potter was playing with her doll, Annabel. That doll was old enough and quite timeworn to reasonably throw her away, but Lily couldn't do such a thing. She adored her doll and had promised she would never leave her. Annabel was her favorite doll and they were playing together every day, exploring each time so many different worlds of fantasy.

They were playing together today, as well. Lily was sitting on the lovely green grass of a meadow of one of the vast plains of Cokeworth. She was sitting there by herself, with her doll keeping her company, and watching her while Annabel was showing her some imaginary dance moves. _She's a great dancer, _Lily thought and smiled. She wished she could dance as well as Annabel.

The sun was shining that day, and the sky had a sweet light blue color. There weren't any clouds to be found. None. That created a magical atmosphere, full of serenity. Lily's home was near enough for her to be able to take walks alone in that green kingdom, without her parents worrying about her safety. Besides, what could happen to her in that heavenly place? All these years, nothing bad had happened. And that's why her parents had chosen that place to raise Lily and her brothers. That place was just wonderful. Her father's mom, Lily Evans, used to live there as a child, and Harry Potter couldn't ignore that. They had renovated Evans' old house, and since then they lived there happily.

A light breeze blew and cooled her face, waved her red to the shoulders straight hair and Lily closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and laid down to the ground, placing her doll next to her tiny body. Lily's face was opposite of the sun, which, despite the breeze that was still blowing, it was emitting heat over her, making her feel full of rapture. Such peace and quiet, everything Lily enjoyed the most. She wondered if she may was in Paradise.

And, right there, Lily started singing. She didn't have the appropriate voice to sing freely but, when you're a nine-year-old little girl, your voice is cute enough to sound lovely and sweet.

"_I love you. You love me. We're a happy family" _she sang in her own slow pace the first lyrics of one of her favorite songs. That one was from the "Barney" show she watched in that strange muggle device, called television. James saw it someday in his best friend's home and liked it, so her parents bought it. They didn't want their children grow up using only wizard stuff.

_"With a great big hug. And a kiss from me to you. Won't you say you love me too?" _Her juvenile voice sounded wonderfully in the quiet that nature was keeping. Lily's face was so serene and pure at that moment, and no one could succeed in hating her. No one could dare to hurt her and make her cry. No one could bear seeing her innocent brown eyes cry and the tears fall to her lightly reddish cheeks.

_"I love you. You love me. We're best friends. Like friends should be" _Considering these lyrics, Lily realized that she hadn't many friends. Well, she was playing and talking with many other girls who lived with their families in Cokeworth, but none of them was a true friend to her. Lily didn't have a best friend like James and Albus. She only had Annabel, but she was nothing but a doll – while her favorite, not a living friend, just a doll. And that seemed to be not enough.

"With a great big hug. And a kiss from me to you. Won't you say you l-"

"You have a great voice" said someone suddenly from behind her, and Lily sat up scared. She turned and saw a boy standing near an old big tree, at a dignified distance from her. He was distinguished in that shiny day, because of his dark, really poor clothing. Every color in his clothes was so dark that was close to black, while his eyes were dark brown as well as his hair, short and messy. His face was beautiful, yet hard.

Lily stood up immediately and took a step away from him frightened. With that move, the boy moved closer to her with perfect timing, his expression was difficult to be read.

"I didn't mean to scare you" he admitted, trying to be sound harmless.

"No, it's just... just... I didn't expect anyone to be here" Lily muttered, while she kept walking away.

"I came here incidentally. And then I heard your song" he smiled at her, and Lily was impressed with how much a simple smile lighted his face. That calmed her down a little bit. She smiled at him too, that was a sweet smile.

The boy moved further, until he was standing right in front of her. Now, Lily could see clearly his facial features, so perfect for his face, but also they brought to the surface something dark, just like his whole appearance.

"I'm Jason Turner" he said, offering her his hand.

"I'm Lily Potter" She took his hand delicately, and gave it a light shake. When he heard her name, Jason froze.

* * *

"Do you have any dreams, Jason?" Lily asked all of a sudden, busting the silence between them. She didn't look at him, just staring the sky. Today it was a little cloudy.

"What do you mean?" asked Jason startled. They were lying next to one another near the bank of the river of Cokeworth. It was a dirty river. The waters were murky and dark, you couldn't see the bottom. The most of the river's bank was strewn with litter, but Jason had put aside some of them with a spell and his wand, so he and Lily could lie there comfortably. Lily was surprised to see Jason knowing spells, having a wand already and doing magic in the age of nine, while he hadn't attended to Hogwarts yet, but she said nothing. This wasn't her business and she didn't know him that long to ask him about his family and how and why they had taught him magic in that age. It had only passed one week from the day they met.

"You know... what do you want to do in your life? Don't you have any goals?" Lily said. Her cheeks went immediately red, as Jason smiled to himself. She wasn't sure if that was a simple smile or a smirk that was implying something remoter and deeper than she could imagine. Anyway, she blushed and that was awkward for her. She didn't like it.

"What about you? Do you have any dreams?" He was avoiding giving her an answer.

Lily sighed. "Well, I don't know exactly what I want to do. Maybe have a quiet life, grow old peacefully in a place like Cokeworth. No battles, no wars like in my parents' years"

"Are you sure?" snapped James frown.

"Why not be?" He was so weird. He was too weird.

"I just thought you wanted something more specific from your life, that's all" Ok, that was a lie. Lily knew that was a lie. Why was he lying to her? What was he hiding? Was it that important to make him lie? He said nothing else. He sat up, hiding his deadpan face from her, watching the deep river, the tilt trees over it, the dull green of the grass along the riverbank, the sidelines with his spell garbage.

Lily didn't sit up, like he did. She was annoyed for lying to her, she didn't want to talk or see him at that moment, but also it felt right to her to give Jason some space. He seemed like a kid shut in him, just like now he was lost in his thoughts and didn't even look at her. Maybe he had forgotten her presence completely. Lily would let him take his time. Besides, she needed her precious peace as well, so she let the silence spread among them once again. She took her eyes off him and, still lying on the ground, she turned back to the sky. She was looking for the sun. Where had it gone? Its absence was creating a dull atmosphere, the clouds were so annoying. It didn't blowing, so the scene was sultry.

* * *

Lily hadn't seen Jason for three days. After their walk to the river, Jason had not appeared. Lily remembered when she had waited for hours and hours in the same spot in the river, then to the meadow where they had first met, but he was nowhere to be found. Sitting there all alone, she was thinking that maybe she had been overreacting that day with the not-talking-to-him thing. Yes, he had lie to her, but he would have his reasons to do so. And, moreover, maybe he didn't like her a lot to tell her the truth and make her his friend, so why he had to show up? He didn't have to hang out with her, just because it happened to meet her in a simple meadow on an ordinary sunny day. He wasn't obliged. Not at all.

But Lily kept waiting for Jason, making several idiotic excuses. Yeah, well, maybe he had work to do, or he got sick, or he had gone on vacation with his family, or their garden had been destroyed for some mysterious reason and he had decided to help his dad fix it by themselves, because Jason was too bored to use his wand and magic. _Or he just doesn't want to spend the day with you, idiot!_ Lily thought and before starting to cry, she stood up and went back home.

After that, two whole days had passed, but Jason hadn't tried to see her. She spent the second day to the river and also to the meadow, once again by herself, and returned home with a sad look in her face. She didn't want to play with her doll, Annabel, either. You see, it was pointless, because dolls don't talk or laugh or tell jokes. If Lily played with Annabel, she would be still alone. It was summer and she was alone.

The third day passed as lonely as the second. Lily wasn't ready for his appearance yet, and that was good, because no one appeared. By the time she had returned home, she decided that she wouldn't go again down there to the bank. It was purposeless anyway, he wouldn't come there either. So why waiting for him? She would go on with her life, pretend like he never existed, and everything would go back to normal. Right, that was what she was going to do. _No more bank, no more river!_ she promised herself.

The next morning was different, though. The whole I'm-not-going-to-the-river-ever-again felt so wrong. It was like she shouldn't leave him just like that, like he would lose his way without her seeing him and talking to him. It was like she _mustn't_ abandon him. That would be a mistake. But she couldn't break her promise, not just like that. This was a simple feeling, maybe it was what _she_ wanted to be happening, and she didn't want to fool herself. It wasn't fair. Jason _had_ left her without saying a word, and now she _mustn't_ forget anything that had to do with him? Not fair at all!

So the most of that day Lily was denying going to the bank, and generally was denying forgiving him. But, somewhere amid the afternoon, she found herself running back there, to their spot near the dirty river. She couldn't ignore anymore the importance of that stupid feeling. _Don't leave him! Don't leave him!_ a voice was screaming inside her in panic, and now Lily was running as fast as she could to the bank of the river.

When she arrived there, Lily saw no one. Of course. She felt such an idiot for paying attention to that strange feeling. She was looking constantly on her right and on her left, hoping to see his unique face or his messy hair, but seeing each time nothing more but trees and plants. She didn't know what to say. She didn't even know how exactly to react. She was a dreamer, flying up in the clouds, and her landing was very rough. She sat down and started crying. Why had to be so stupid? Why had to be so far away from the reality? Jason didn't want her to be his friend. He didn't want her from the beginning.

_So what?_ Lily thought all of a sudden.

_No!_ the voice inside her screamed.

_So what?_ Lily thought again.

_Stop!_ The voice seemed to losing it, but Lily didn't want to listen. Not anymore. She was done with all these crap. She was done with Jason Turner.

_You can't give up on him!_ the voice tried once more to stop her, but Lily had already stood up, ready to walk home, wiping her tears.

_Wait!_ Lily ignored the voice, taking the first steps away from the riverbank.

"Wait!" But this voice... Lily couldn't just ignore it. She froze in her steps. New tears were threatening to roll down her cheeks, but she tried to hold them back. She turned slowly to face him, and she was surprised to see him so tired and exhausted. There were black cycles under his eyes, but his face was still remaining beautiful and hard, with the same dark brown hair and eyes, accompanied by his as usual dark outfit.

Jason took a step closer, but Lily walked away immediately. It was the only thing she could do, or the only thing she wanted to do; to stay away from him. He seemed to know exactly what the problem was and didn't try to deny any of it. He just kept trying to get closer to her, while Lily kept refusing be near him. And that was annoying - Lily saw the annoyance in his eyes. Now she was happy!

"Would you stop walking away?" snapped Jason, and his eyebrows came together.

"I don't want to talk to you ever again!" said Lily abruptly just like he did.

"Well, you will, whether you like it or not!"

"Who do you think you are?" Lily erupted for good. "First, you lie to me, then you disappear without saying anything, you don't show up for days, and now you dare come here and obligate me to brook you and have a talk?!" She hadn't realized she was yelling, until she stopped for air. "I waited for you all these days!"

"I didn't ask you to!" yelled Jason as well. He was pissed off too.

"That's all you have to say? This is your answer? This is a stupid-"

"Just SHUT UP and SIT DOWN!" he commanded her. Lily gave him a murderous look, but she obeyed and sat down on the ground with silence. When she did, Jason sat down too, far enough from her, just to not irritate her more. And then, there was only peace and quiet. No one of them spoke. They were just sitting once again silent to their spot near the dirty river. They were both looking everywhere else, except from each other. Lily didn't want to look at him. He was getting on her nerves for good, and at that moment, she wanted to hex him. If only she had a wand...

But magic wasn't useful only in giving the other a good (a really really good in their case) hex. Magic could be useful in other things too, and Jason knew it very well, unlike Lily. She was sitting there, doing nothing but wishing Jason to disappear from the land surface once and for all. She was so preoccupied with her deadly thoughts about him, that she didn't see when Jason made a light move with his hand. One of the fallen leaves suddenly acquired life and flew toward Lily's place, just like a little pure bird, landing on her foot. Lily turned her head immediately and looked the magical leaf on the tiny foot. Then she looked up at Jason with shock. All she wanted to do was hold that leaf because it was so cute, but she wouldn't fall so easily.

Jason saw the enthusiasm in Lily's eyes, that one she was trying to hide, and decided to exploit that fact. When Lily turned her head to the other, so she couldn't see him, Jason made another move with his hand, giving life to the leaves up on the branches of the tree that was near them. The leaves, like a flock of birds, flew in the air above them, leaving Lily speechless by seeing them. Her eyes lighted, but when she turned to Jason, she had an ironic look in her face.

"Go drown in the river" she whispered to him, not giving up.

Lily was surprised by the magical show, she did, but that was not enough for her. With what she told him, she wished that he might leave or better go and drown himself. But she was happy when he stood up and started walking away from her. That was something out of nothing. He had finally got the point and was leaving. She was so pleased!

Yes, she was pleased, until the sound of his footsteps stopped abruptly from walking away. Lily turned to see what was happening this time, but before she could see anything, Jason had run back and with a jump, he had sank in the dirty water of the river.

"Oh my God!" mumbled Lily afraid. Ok, maybe she wished and said to him to drown, but that wasn't one hundred present real. She didn't want him dead, she knew that. He knew that too. So why was he doing this? _Oh my God! OH MY GOD!_

Lily approached the river bank and bent down over the water, hoping to be able to discern through it and see what was happening. But something like that was impossible in this river, as it was terribly dirty. She began to panic. Jason hadn't risen to the surface yet. Where was he? Was he ok? Lily couldn't imagine that maybe he was trying really to get drown. Why do so? Just because she had said it? That was insane. He never did what she was telling him. What had changed now?

As she was bending down over the river terrified, Jason rose suddenly to the surface right in front of her, put his arms around her waist and pulled her into the water too. Lily was surprised to see that the river wasn't at that spot as deep as she thought. But the breath Lily managed to get wasn't enough, so she quickly swam to the surface and dragged herself back to the bank shocked, taking deep breaths. Jason did the same, and laid near her to the ground, trying to catch his breath as well. He turned his head to look at her, while she was sitting next to him with wide eyes and a disgusted look in her sweet face. He started laughing.

"Jason!" Lily yelled. "It's not funny! It is a _dirty_ river. _Dirty!_"

But Jason couldn't help it. He was laughing even harder with each word she was saying. Lily looked at his lying on the ground and above all laughing and wet figure, and tried to remain serious and find a way to kill him immediately, but she was nothing but a kid. She started laughing too, her laugh keeping company to his, and she laid down as well. Throughout her body was emitting only one thing; forgiveness.

* * *

**So that was Chapter 1 :) Was it short? Or does it goes too fast? Also, what do you think about the Lily - Jason couple? Do you like the way the plot is taking?  
Reviews are welcome :)****  
**

**Fanfic Themes:  
watch?v=xOm2fLucQ9g  
****watch?v=sb128ypOvLE**  



	3. Chapter 2

**J. K. Rowling owns all the characters of Harry Potter. Enjoy :)**

* * *

_Why should I be afraid to die? I belong to you.  
If I go first, I'll wait for you there, on the other side of the dark waters.  
Be with me now.._

_-The Thin Red Line_

* * *

**Chapter 2**

All of a sudden, Lily found herself in an unfamiliar forest. She was walking slowly on a path, and she wasn't sure what exactly she was doing. The trees were tall, their branches laden with leaves, so laden that you couldn't see the sky at all. It seemed to be a night time, because of the almost lack of light, or maybe there were too many clouds in the sky, hiding the sun. There was only that low light, which had succeeded and had passed in some spots from the impervious shield of leaves, but didn't have its usual yellow-gold hue. That light was darker, taking another hue, which Lily couldn't exactly understand.

Looking now more carefully, Lily noticed the vegetation of the forest. Just like the faint light, the vegetation was also freakish. There wasn't any of that brilliant, magical greenery, which Lily adored, but a faded color, that was close to gray. The mixing of green and gray was all around her, creating a chilling atmosphere, but Lily couldn't do anything else than keep following the path in a tremendous uncertainty, without knowing what she would find at the end of it.

Somehow, she stopped walking abruptly. Her eye caught something, which she hadn't realized yet. And that was beyond the imagination. The ground of the forest, except from the path she was walking on, had been covered with a gray smooth thing, that in the beginning she didn't understand what it was. It was fragile, though. It was being dissolved under the soles of her shoes. Lily, without any specific command from her brain, bent her legs, leaning over the mysterious material on the ground, and stretched out her hand to touch it. It didn't harm her; it didn't cause pain to her. Nothing. It was so soft, that when she scrutinized it with her fingers, it dissolved into smaller pieces, until it was completely gone.

She took some more in her hand, and brought it to her nose to smell it. It had a strange smell; it reminded her wood, leaves and grass, all these accompanied by fire. It was like fire had burned the whole forest, leaving behind... ashes. Yes, that was it. The whole ground was covered with ashes; it was like ashes had replaced the vegetation altogether. And although all these could seem logic, if something like that had happened, if there had been a fire here, the forest shouldn't now exist and lead her in a mysterious place, right?

But Lily wasn't done yet. Smelling the ashes one more time, she found a deeper and stronger scent in it, mixed again with the acute one of fire. That smell was different in every way. It wasn't usual; Lily had never smelled anything like this before. She couldn't tell what it was. It didn't remind her burned wood, it was something else, it was something disgusting.

_Look carefully... _a voice spoke in almost a whisper inside her head. It wasn't the voice of her instinct. That voice was male, it was bass and rough. She hadn't heard it before, not even once, but she felt close to it for some unknown reason. Although it sounded stern and sharp, Lily could easily distinguish the caring and the love that the voice hided.

Lily remained in the position she was, leaning over the abnormal ground. She had still ashes in her hand. Her eyes started scan the place around her, doing as the voice had said, trying to _look carefully_, and by that she hoped she could perhaps find the truth. She didn't see any difference in the whole setting, though, just ashes on the ground and almost gray nature.

She was ready to give up and continue her walk on the path, until one hazy glimmer of light shone suddenly a particular spot on the ground. The light was not bright, nor enough to illuminate the area further, but at that moment it was what was needed to stand for something among the ashes. Something shone near Lily's legs, and with her free hand, she ventured to catch it. Groping it with her fingers, Lily guessed it was small, with an oval shape; its texture was somewhere smooth and somewhere wild.

Lily tried to control the shaking in her hands and brought it slowly to the surface. It was gold and glossy, but she could see visible scratches and dents on it, like it had been maltreated. It was familiar to her, she couldn't remember why, though. It was a locket, but its chain was gone. Lily knew there should be a chain, a long golden one. She also knew how to open it; it was like she had done this hundred times before, unknown how, so now it was easy to be opened. When Lily undid the clasp, the locket opened in two, revealing two small moving-photographs inside of each one of its parts. And moments like this, you wish that nothing has ever happened. Moments like this, you wish that everything is a lie, nothing more but a crude lie.

Now she remembered. She suddenly remembered. The golden locket belonged to her father. She remembered... Lily was with him at home, in his study, when he was cutting the moving-photographs so that they fit perfectly the locket frames. These two were his favorite of all. In the first one, it was him with her mother, both smiling happily together, and then they were laughing, completely in love. In the second, Lily saw herself as a baby in her father's hands, while James and Albus were standing on his right and on his left respectively, playing with their little sister, and they were all smiling as well. Everywhere everyone was smiling. There were too many smiles. What an irony...

All the pieces of the puzzle had now found their way mysteriously, and the image they formed inside Lily's head was making a sad sense that she didn't want to accept. She was denying accepting it, not because it could not be true, but because it _must not _be true. How had this happened? It was impossible, otherwise everything would have been ruined, and destroyed. It was unthinkable, otherwise the world would no longer exist, and everything would have turned into ashes. These ashes...

Run...

It was that moment, while the whole thing made sense, when a creepy murderous laugh echoed among the trees. Lily was scared half to death. She dropped immediately the locket to the ground, and shook the ashes from her other hand with such fury and disgust. She stood up and started running as fast as she could, following once again the path, doing as the voice whispered to her. She wanted to keep running and running, until she was far enough from that damned forest. She didn't want to stay there nor for one more minute; did she want to run away. She wanted to escape! She had to set herself free! She had to!

The devilish laugh sounded louder this time, so loud that her ears hurt and they were close to bleed. Lily was running along the path faster and faster, and just for one or two seconds she was sure she would survive, and her heart leaped because of that hope. With her brown eyes, deep in the forest, she could see the trees spacing out for her, she could see the bright gold color of the sun and she wanted to become one with that serene light.

When Lily realized that this was just an illusion, it was too late. The whole forest behind her had been suddenly set on fire, and was burning everything in its wake, approaching her with an incredible speed, at which Lily couldn't be synchronized in order to save herself. It wasn't an ordinary fire, though. This kind of fire seemed to be alive and was chasing her with huge fiery waves, aiming to kill her with a torturous way. Wherever Lily looked, there were wild giant animals made of fire, awaken, directed furious towards her, rabid to take her life.

The distance between them was decreasing per second, but even though the flames hadn't reached her yet, Lily imagined the bitter pain of fire onto her white skin, along her arms and her back. The pain would progress mercilessly covering every inch of her body, and she could do nothing to stop the burning. She was terrified. She desperately wanted to scream and ask for help, because she didn't want to die there, like this. Maybe there was someone who could save her from that nightmare of flames, but she quickly realized that this was impossible to happen, and her panic increased. Who could have survived through these fiery monsters?

Soon, her whole body would begin to emit smoke, along with a disgusting smell Lily would finally recognize from earlier. How didn't she get it from the whole beginning? It was so clear! How didn't she smell that stink earlier, which was now prevailing throughout the forest? That stink couldn't just be unnoticed. Lily had smelled fire burning wood before, but now all around her she smelled fire burning flesh. It was human flesh and she couldn't bare it! Tears fell down her cheeks, not just because she was scared of dying, running continuously on her path, but also because Lily had finally understood. People had died there, in that forest. It was a cemetery that no one knew about, because no one was alive. It wasn't just her flesh that would be burnt in any minute, but she now knew that thousands or, better, millions of people had died there in the same way she would die. These ashes that were covering the ground were _their _ashes. They had been burned alive. _She _would be burnt alive.

That was the end. Lily knew it. Something evil had destroyed everything, everything pure and beautiful, everything that brought joy and laughter, and all these that were giving and taking love. There was nothing left. There was nothing that could be fixed someday. Nothing was going to be the same, not any more. The whole world had surrendered to the Devil himself, and he in turn had decided to spread chaos, to pity neither anything nor anyone and to ravage anything he would found. That was the end...

Lily couldn't run anymore. The fire hadn't reached her yet, but the pain in her lungs was terrible, intolerable, and her body couldn't support her to reach the edge of the woods. Yes, there may have been the redemption of her, she knew that, but the end of the path was too far away from her. Her body betrayed her. She couldn't take anymore. The laugh didn't stop at all, not once, and it was haunting her. It sounded ecstatic, amused by her pain, by her panic and fear, and that fact made Lily feel sick. Her clothes had become too heavy along with her shoes. Her red hair was winnow behind her, now long and straight, and Lily barely understood that she wasn't a kid anymore. She was all grown up, still too young to die. But she couldn't help it.

_Keep running... _the male voice whispered again, but Lily couldn't obey. She had no power left, she had nothing left that could save her.

Her slim legs inflected, and Lily found herself falling in a steep way, face down to the ground. It didn't hurt her at all. Her whole body had become numb and didn't allow her to feel anything. The only thing she felt was terror because she was imagining the wild flames onto her skin burning her alive and helpless. She turned slowly around and saw the fiery beasts coming closer and closer to her damaged body, inpatient to kill her. She looked away, hoping she would find something to distract her, make her forget her expected torturous death. She looked up at the branches of the tall trees, expecting to see them as laden with gray leaves as she remembered them from earlier. But Lily felt quite surprised when her eyes pegged in a specific spot of the branches. It wasn't so laden, so she could finally see the sky, its dark strange hue.

Lily felt lost when she looked at the sky. Its color was a deep red, just like blood. That was impossible... right? Or was it something necessary, which was completing the world's destruction? Was it a sign which was sealing the end of the world? Who knew? Who could do anything about it? There was no answer. There was nothing. Nothing, but death turned into ashes. Soon, Lily would become ashes as well. And she was so scared about it. She didn't want to die, but who did? She was afraid, and she wished there was a way to stop her fear. But, do our wishes ever become true?

"Lily?" she heard someone calling her with a deep voice, which she recognized immediately. She turned her head to the side and saw him.

"Dad?" Her own voice sounded week, faded and dry. It was sweet like a melody once...

"Don't be afraid, sweetheart" her dad said, trying to comfort her.

"I'm dying, dad. I'm so scared!" she cried, helpless.

"You shouldn't, sweetie" Lily heard the soft voice of her mom. She saw her standing beside her dad, with a sad smile in her face.

"Yes, you shouldn't" her dad agreed. "We are here. We will stay with you"

"Y- You will?" Lily lisped, sobbing.

"Of course, my love. And when this is over, you can come with us" her mom promised. "There is a wonderful place up there"

_There is a wonderful place up there. _It was these words that made Lily notice her parents more carefully. Her mother was wearing a long dress and her favorite earrings with the pearls, her hair was short, beautiful, reaching her shoulders. Her father had a suit on, his hair was neat and he was wearing his usual glasses as well. The thing was that there was no color on them. Their figures were a mix of black and white, they were gray. Lily was frightened when she realized she could see through their bodies. She could see through them, and the hard part was that she already knew why. She knew they were dead. Her dad never parted from his gold locket...

"You have to be strong, Lily" her dad whispered.

"We love you" her mom murmured. Their eyes were full of pain, because of Lily. Because of the fiery waves that were coming closer.

"I love you too" Lily said and shut her eyelids. She could do nothing else. Not anymore. She knew now that it was her fate to die young, and she didn't intend to try and change it. She was just lying there, waiting to die, and so be free. There wasn't any other way. She would accept the unbearable pain. It would kill her. Lily would feel her soul finally give up, uprooting from her lovely body, leaving the earthly world, and going somewhere unknown, in _a wonderful place_. Her body was still, her eyes were closed, her heart was beating furiously.

When the monsters made of fire reached her, Lily was shocked, and opened her eyes wide. The pain was sharper than she expected. That was the end, she knew it, but she wasn't ready to die. She wasn't ready to die! She was trying to quench the fire from her feet, but the flames surrounded her so fast and her eyes couldn't follow. She was burning alive, and this pain was above all. It was torturing her, it was killing her.

She was screaming like crazy, asking for help, but no one listened. She was all alone. She knew that her parents hadn't leaved her, as they had promised, but they could do nothing to save her, and she was by herself. She was in pain, she was dying. The flames were covering now her whole body, and she was screaming more and more. She was screaming, until she couldn't breathe anymore. And all she wanted was to take a breath. A breath of life that never came.

* * *

"Lily! Lily!" Harry Potter was shaking his daughter, screaming her name. Ginny was standing behind him terrified, her hands were covering her mouth, so that she wouldn't start raving as well. James and Albus were next to the door frame of their little sister's room; they were both silent. The sight was unbelievable.

It was Lily. She was howling in the middle of the night, and it was something horrendous. At first, Harry thought that there was perhaps someone in her room. He grabbed immediately his wand and run to Lily's purple bedroom, just to find her going mad. He checked the room, and when he found nothing wrong in it, he approached her bed. Ginny arrived the next moment.

"Stop! Stop!" Lily was begging in her sleep, and Harry couldn't wake her up.

"What's happening to her?" Ginny lisped, without waiting any answer. It was so hard watching her own child being tortured in such an execrable way. She couldn't take it.

"Please! Please! Please!" Lily cried desperately. "Help! Help!"

"Lily! Wake up! WAKE UP!" Harry was losing it. And that was because he couldn't do anything to _help _her. He wanted so much to help her and stop this horrid nightmare, but he was completely unable to. His little and only daughter needed him, and he could do nothing about it! James and Albus followed the screams of torture and came into the room too, but neither Ginny heard them, nor Harry. The whole thing was unbearable for them as well, so they stayed silent.

Lily kept screaming and begging and crying, her tiny body was shaken up and down the bed, and her legs, reminded wild beasts, were kicking in the air as if trying to dissipate something over them, her hands were moving in all directions. Harry held her tightly by the shoulders and shook her constantly. His palms were sweaty, just like his whole body. And he couldn't stop thinking about the fact that his daughter was acting like a demoniac, and that he was a helpless man.

* * *

Lily woke up, of course. It was just a dream, while bad and painful, not something that couldn't be healed. Lily didn't talk about it to anyone, though. It was beyond her. After all, she was just a kid. How could she handle this? She couldn't. And so she never spoke about it to nobody. All she wanted was to be healed from the wounds of the fire, and that needed time. A lot of time.

Since that dream, she never slept alone at night. She was scared, that maybe her bedroom would be suddenly set on fire and no one would be there to save her from her burning death. In fact, she didn't sleep in her bedroom at all. She would either snuggle in James' bed and he would whisper in her ear _As long as I live, no one will hurt you, kiddo, _then he would kiss softly her cheek_. _Or she would sleep in Albus' arms after he would tell her a tale about fairies and mermaids. Or she would hide between her lovely parents in their large warm bed, always trying to avoid the eye contact with her father's gold locket in his nightstand.

It was almost one month before she would  
attend in Hogwarts School. Just like every summer, the days were always shining. And just like every day, she was always hanging out with Jason. He had never left her after that three-day absence. Lily never learnt where he had gone. She didn't care much, though. Now he was here, with her. He was always here, all these two years, and that made her extremely happy. Of course, she didn't know what would happen in the future.

They were lying in their spot near the Cokeworth's riverbank, as usual. They were looking at the bright blue sky, watching the birds flying in the air, listening them chirping on the trees around them, and that was something magical. Lily couldn't deny it. She loved the beauty of the nature. She would kill to live in a place like this, if you exclude the junk that were there and the dirty waters. She couldn't enjoy the harmony of the nature, though, as she used to do in the past, because of that nightmare, and that was something that couldn't be unnoticed from Jason's dark eyes.

"Would you finally tell me what happens?" he asked her indignantly. He had tried many times before to find out what was wrong with her, but she had told him nothing. Nothing at all.

"I can't" she answered curtly.

"Tell me"

"No"

"WHY?"

He sounded angry this time, so Lily took her eyes from the sky to see his face. It was hard, serious, and beautiful. The color of his eyes was in perfect combination with the one in his messy hair, that dark brown. His lips were shut tightly, forming a strictly straight line. He had sat up now; his black outfit was following his body. Within two years, Jason had grown a lot. He was tall enough to make her look tiny in front of him; she was reaching him almost in the shoulder.

They kept looking at each other for a couple of minutes; perhaps it was more than that. Lily wasn't sure. She let herself drown into the abyss of his dark eyes, and she felt the shield she had put between her and her soul fire wounds falling back. And then, there it was, a tear rolled down her soft cheek, while the memory of the pain of the flames on her body came to the surface, and it was too much for her to handle.

"Here..." she murmured with tears in her sweet bright brown eyes. She took off from her wrist a black leather bracelet, and handed it to him. It was nothing special, it suited better to boys. It was James'. He had given it to her years ago, because she liked it and kept _borrowing_ it from him.

Jason took it tentatively from her hand, his fingers touching slightly hers. "What is that?" he asked, looking at the used bracelet. His face was completely emotionless.

"It's a... It's under a spell" Lily explained. Her voice was quivering. She felt the painful memories hurting her innocent soul already. "It keeps you safe"

He didn't answer right away. Lily saw his eyebrows coming together sharply. "You should keep it then"

She said nothing. The tears were rolling down frantically and she couldn't speak. She was crying, and by that taking off the pain. Jason knew that very well. He knew that, and that was what didn't stop him from pushing her away, when she crawled near him and hugged him by his waist. She was taking quick breaths but not deep, wetting with her tears the end of his black shirt.

At first, Jason didn't know how to react. She hadn't touched him before, not once. But now she was holding him tightly with her little hands, like she didn't want ever to let go. He looked again at the black bracelet in his palm, and he promised never take it off. And so he did. He always wore it, because in his eyes it was special. It was _hers_, and that was all that mattered. He didn't know yet, but it would be that bracelet, which would keep him strong in the future. It would be that, which would show him the way, when he would touch it carefully at nights waiting to redeem him, waiting to bring him close to her.

"Are you afraid to die, Jason?" she whispered suddenly through her sobs.

He didn't answer. He just wore the bracelet in his wand hand, and he caressed softly her red hair.

* * *

**Well, that was it – Chapter 2. What do you think about it?  
****Thank you all for reviewing :)****  
**

**Fanfic Themes:  
watch?v=xOm2fLucQ9g  
****watch?v=sb128ypOvLE**  



	4. Chapter 3

**And 'Harry Potter' belongs tooooo…. J. K. Rowling! Yeaah!  
Enjoy :P**

* * *

_Why should I be afraid to die? I belong to you.  
If I go first, I'll wait for you there, on the other side of the dark waters.  
Be with me now.._

_-The Thin Red Line_

* * *

**Chapter 3**

Lily was walking on tiptoe, holding her breath, trying not to glide down the stairs, or not to stumble on each furniture that appeared in front of her in the darkness, or not to forget about the sneaky round mat that lurked at the hall before the white front door, which, she was sure, was waiting eagerly to catch her little foot and make her fall down to the wooden floor, as most of the time. Of course, something like that would ruin everything.

She prided herself when she went through the mat's trap, but that feeling flew quickly away because of the sound the door made, while she opened it to sneak out of the Evan's old house. The door's creaking wasn't too loud to be heard clearly upstairs, but it was enough to draw the attention of someone that perhaps hadn't slept yet. Lily froze in her place, took a deep breath keeping it in her lungs, and pegged her brown eyes on the stairs, waiting for her parents or one of her brothers to come and catch her in the act.

Lily thought herself pretty much lucky, not just because no one showed up to stop her, but also because when she walked out of the house, the door didn't make any sound. It clicked noiselessly when she pushed it to close, and then she was free to go. She ran and ran as fast as she could, and she ignored the cold air around her, because she was feeling _so_ excited to see _him_.

It was her birthday today. Well, to be precise, her birthday was yesterday, because now it was somewhere between two to three in the morning. There had been a huge party, and everyone had come, as always. All the Weasleys were there and, for Merlin's sake, they were too many people in the Weasley family! It wasn't just the people from her parents' years, but now all of them had husbands and wives and, of course, children! Lots of them! Luckily, it wasn't raining and her parents came up with the idea of a garden barbecue party, so that everyone would feel comfortable to move and walk around.

It was Arthur and Molly Weasley that Lily welcomed first. They looked like... like grandparents, with warm sweet smiles in their tired faces and love into their familiar eyes. Next was Bill and Fleur with their kids Victoire, Dominique and Louis, while Charlie Weasley was still single, an expert-in-dragons bachelor. Percy was there with his wife Audrey and his two daughters Molly II and Lucy, but Lily hugged tighter George, feeling like hugging Fred at the same time, who she loved deeply despite the fact that she never had the chance to meet him. George had come with Angelina, their son Fred II and their daughter Roxanne, followed by Ron and Hermione, with Rose and Hugo as well.

While Hugo was at her age, and while he would be in the same year with her at Hogwarts, he was five months older, and that fact made Lily the youngest member of their family. Weasleys and Potters were always acting like one big happy family, and she was the last and the smallest one. Everybody adored her; she was their little cute and innocent girl with red hair like fire and eyes full of warmth, while her smiles always beautified their day.

But Lily adored only one of them the most. "Hey, Lilttle..." He was just so special in her eyes. "Happy Birthday!"

Lily recognized his voice immediately, calling her with the nickname only _he_ used, and she turned her head to see Teddy Lupin walking towards her with his usual wide smile in his face. She didn't think about it at all, and she found herself running in his way, wanting to reach him and hug him with her tiny hands. Teddy bent his legs and she threw herself on him, while he put his big arms around her, squeezing her lightly. He was her favorite, and she was his favorite as well. He was the oldest of their generation and she was the youngest; it was a ligament that was strong as the ground, and strange as the sky. But it was real, and Lily wouldn't change it.

Teddy was her father's godson. On May 2, 1998, when he was almost one month old, his mother and father both fought in the Battle of Hogwarts, leaving him with his maternal grandmother, Andromeda Tonks. But, as Lily would find out later in the future, life is not fair. Both Teddy's parents died in that battle, leaving him an orphan. Therefore, he was raised by his grandmother, but he wasn't alone. He grew up surrounded by friends and family, who loved him deeply. Especially Lily. Teddy usually spent much of his time with her family and Weasleys as well, and he would come at least four times a week at her house for dinner.

When they separated, Teddy pulled out of his jacket's pocket a small box with orange wrap and golden ribbon, which formed an inflatable bow on the top of the box. He gave it to her, and she in turn gave him an extremely happy smile, which lighted up her sweet face. She quickly unrolled the paper, and moved the box lid. In the bottom of the box, there was a small crystal ball, but when Lily took it in her hands, she was confused, because that crystal ball was empty; there was nothing within.

Teddy laughed with the unsure expression in her face, and put his huge hands under her tiny own, cupping them softly; it was like they were holding the crystal ball together. "It's not an ordinary ball" he explained. "I've put a spell on it"

"And what is the spell?" Her voice sounded so light and young, compared to his bass own.

"This ball shows you something special; home. The places here that you once told me you never wanna leave behind"

"But, Teddy..." His name was always sounded pure when it came out of her mouth. "I won't ever leave my home. Why do such a thing?"

At the beginning, Teddy hesitated with his answer. But he had never lied to her, and he wouldn't do now. "Well, Lilttle, maybe... someday in the future... it will be impossible for you to come back here. Maybe it will not be for long, but times like these are hard. With this ball, you just have to think about home, and it will appear inside the crystal, all the beauty of home. And so, you'll never feel lost. Home will always be with you"

Lily was an innocent child at the moment. She didn't quite understand Teddy's words, but she trusted him completely. He must be right, because he was older, and old people usually know more. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "I love you, Teddy" she murmured on his shoulder.

"I love you, too" he whispered in her ear, and lifted her suddenly up so that she wouldn't start crying in her own birthday party. He was throwing her in the air and catching her and throwing her up again, making her laugh like crazy. She was holding the crystal ball tightly with her hand, while he put her in his shoulders and reached the rest of the party guest crowd, which was waiting for Harry Potter to finish his barbecue roasting so that they could finally eat, teasing him about taking so long and about the fact that next time he should let Ginny handle the sausage situation. She in turn was giving him light kisses on the lips, whispering that she loved him, even though he was a terrible roaster. Harry on the other hand was always smiling happily, and Lily knew the reason. This was his family, their family, and he couldn't ask for more. It was all that he wanted. It was all that Lily wanted; home.

Lily stopped running, only when she reached the meadow. It was too dark and the place around her wouldn't seem as angelic as she remembered it, if _he_ wasn't there. The branches of the trees created creepy shadows, fact that was a bad combination with the chilled air, dancing with her short red hair, cooling her pale skin. Her light brown eyes would search all around to find something familiar, because she would start panic in that haunted place, yes, she would, but the dark color in _his_ eyes lighted her inside, and nothing could fear her now.

He was there. He was waiting for her. It wasn't their usual spot next to the river, but she didn't care much. It was the place where they first met. Lily didn't know why he had told her to come there, and the whole sneaking-out-to-meet-him-in-the-middle-of-the-nigh t thing was suspicious enough to make her turn and run back at the warmth of her home, without see him ever again. But when he smiled to her, that was enough to make her not walk away. Never.

"Happy Birthday" he wished and returned the cute smile.

At that moment, she was feeling so close to him; she was feeling alive. Body and soul were telling her never let him go, because somehow they knew his absence would kill her. Her heart would break into a thousand pieces, when he would leave her. Because he would, and she wouldn't know how to keep going. She would remember that night, them, and would cry and cry and cry their innocent moments. It was strange how he would give her the best moment of her life, there, tonight, and how he would give her the worst as well.

"What are you hiding there?" Lily asked, trying to look behind his figure, at which he was holding with both hands.

His smile became wider. "Your present"

"You do?" she screamed with an exited smile. She was so pleased that he would give her something. She would have something from him. That was so great!

His smile became a smirk, and Lily realized that she shouldn't be so pleased right now, because this wasn't going to be as great as she thought just a second ago. No, no, no. Not great at all. But she was right. Of course! With slow movements, Jason took off behind his back _that_, and Lily was terrified. The smile disappeared from her face at once. "What is... _that_?" she showed _it_ timidly with her index finger.

Jason saw her reaction and tried to swallow his laugh. "Your birthday present, of course"

"That's _not_ my birthday present!" she hissed.

"I'm afraid it is" he joked. He looked quite amused.

"Why are you doing this to me? Huh? Do you hate me that much?" She was freaking out. "That's... that's..."

"A broom..." Jason completed her phrase, and couldn't do different, but start laughing. "A sneaky broom that wants so badly to cook you!"

"It's _not_ funny, Jason!" Lily yelled at him and took a step back without realizing it.

"Come on, Lily. It's just a ride. I'm sure you can handle this" he said and walked closer as he always did when she walked away.

"I'm not riding that thing! It's dangerous and nasty and... and... dangerous!"

"Such strong arguments!"

"But I'm right. It's dangerous, we might fall, and die and–. Stop laughing, Jason!"

Jason was close to fall down to the grass and laugh harder than ever until he had no breath left, but saw Lily's serious and most of all scared little face and removed that desire. He slowly left the broom down and walked closer to her, with small torturing steps, looking her constantly in the eyes. She was watching frozen as he was taking steps towards her, and didn't move at all.

"Do you believe I am _that_ weak wizard?" he asked her softly. Now, he was standing just in front of her, and all Lily could think was that he was _so close to her_. She had to bend her head backwards, if she wanted to keep looking at his dark eyes. His tall silhouette seemed so impressive at that moment, and Lily loved the feeling of protection that he was emitting. It was like she could hide in his arms and stop worrying about her safety because he would protect her in any way, with any cost. But that was what scared her as well. That he would do anything, that he was capable of everything just to make sure she was fine. The darkness that could see sometimes inside of him, in the way he walked and stood, in the way he looked at her when he was angry, in the way he looked at her right now, yes, that scared her.

"I'm stronger than you think" he whispered, leaning his face closer to hers, looking at her eyes all the time. She stopped breathing, because now he seemed so dangerous than ever. She knew then that she shouldn't be there with him. She shouldn't even talk to him. She shouldn't see him at all. Voices inside her head screamed _Danger! Danger!_ but not _Run away!_ and the strange thing was that she didn't _want_ to run away. She didn't _want_ to let him go, because she couldn't _resist_ that dark dangerous look of his.

"Will you kill me?" Lily lisped with as air she had in her lungs, her thoughts became uncontrolled words that slipped from her lips.

Jason snorted and his lips formed a smirk that Lily had seen in his face so many times. It was a devilish smirk, and she could never be sure what it meant, because Jason was such an unpredictable person, fact that completed the mystery all around him so well. He raised his hand and felt the end of her red hair, then toughed slightly her cheek. "I just wanna take you a ride with the broom" he corrected her, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay" she breathed quickly, her eyes flickering from the commotion. She was pretty sure at that moment she must look like a fool stupid little girl.

"Okay" he repeated, puffing her aroma once, then walked away jerkily, and Lily lost her balance from his sudden absence, almost falling down. She watched as Jason approached his broom, and Lily waited for him to stoop and catch it, but he instead put his wand hand above it and with a strict commanding voice said: "Up!" The broom responded immediately and with great timing it was in Jason's grasp.

He put the broom between his legs, riding it, and turned his head back to Lily. She was still standing frozen in the spot he left her, not knowing what exactly to do.

"Coming?" asked Jason, and she hesitated. He knew why she hesitated. He knew her very well. "Don't be afraid"

"I'm not" she snapped quickly, but it was a lie. She was scared half to death. It wasn't the broom thing anymore, because she trusted him completely. They would not fall, nor die. It was _him_ that she was afraid of, it was him and his darkness, the one she liked so much. She liked his darkness, it was part of him, but she was afraid of it at the same time. And something like that wasn't normal at all. Something was wrong with her, and she didn't know what it was.

Jason snorted again and turned his head before him. "Then come on"

It was now or never, because he wouldn't wait for her forever and he would fly away in the end by himself. Lily clenched her teeth, inhaled once, and walked decidedly towards him and his black used broom. She raised her right foot and put it on the other side of the broom, just like he had done. She somehow found a comfortable position on the wooden stick behind him, and was ready to fly with him. She waited for him to go and heave them in the air. She waited, and waited, and waited, until she could not keep her temper. "Are you planning to give me my present tonight or not?"

"I would love to give you your present" he answered in the same annoyed way just like she spoke "but I believe you don't even want it"

"What? I _am on_ your stupid broom!"

"But you should _hold off me_, unless you don't wanna fall back!"

"Oh" she said, suddenly realizing how stupid she really was. She blushed, because she must seem completely twit in his eyes. Because it was so obvious what she had to do, for everyone except her. She placed awkwardly one hand to his belly, while her other hand went up to his chest. His muscles clenched under her touch, and he froze in his position. She didn't know how tight she should hold him, though, and she contented herself in a medium amount of it.

"Ready?" he asked her briefly.

"Well..." she started, on the ready to tell him that she preferred to go home and sleep peacefully, but he got her point and he pushed quickly with his legs against the ground, before she would speak her thoughts. They flew away at once, and Lily whimpered when her feet couldn't touch the safe ground anymore. She hid her terrified face in Jason's neck, her eyes were shut tight, her breathing was quick, her heart was beating faster and faster by every single second that passed.

"Open your eyes, Lily" said Jason in front of her, and she was sure that he was secretly smiling.

"I hate you!" murmured Lily to his neck, because she had no strength to yell at him. She held him tighter than before, her body hiding behind his, not relaxing at all. All she wanted was to go home!

"You're not helping me with your present, Lily, if you have your eyes closed" This time Jason was serious, but his voice was soft and comforting. Lily had to admit that he was right. Well, she didn't want to open her eyes for no reason, but right now she was indeed ruining his present, and that was not fair. Also, that made her a coward, and she hated that part the most. She wasn't a coward. Okay, maybe she was just a little fearful, that was true, but she wasn't a coward. She wasn't a coward!

Her pale face rose up from Jason's neck, and Lily opened timidly her brown eyes. There it was; her present. She could see it clearly. It was so lovely and special. It was amazing. It was the way the moon lighted the buildings above them, and she was surprised to see that most of the houses' lights were on like tiny candles, despite the early morning hour. It was the way the trees seemed to be small bushes on a vast expanse of dark because of the night green above them, and their dirty river reminded her of a long stain of water, reflecting the holy black sky. But, of course, it was them too, flying so high that Lily could throw up but didn't, because she was completely ecstatic with the view underneath them, just like with the one around them; the way it felt passing through the clouds and be so close to the stars and the moon, at least that was what she believed at that age. Her brain had stopped, and the only thing it seemed she could do was to admire to one hundred percent the beauty of that magical celestial kingdom.

She couldn't see her home, though, and it was then when she realized that they weren't flying over Cokeworth anymore. The life above them was unfamiliar to her, and she guessed that she had loitered the night sky for a quite long time, being silent, and speechless. Now, she couldn't discern any buildings, or homes, or even great green nature down on the ground. All she could descry was water, water, water. They were flying above a sea, maybe it was a big mysterious ocean, she didn't know. She didn't know where they were going. She didn't care.

"I can change your present anytime, if you don't like it" Jason spoke through the silence. His voice was stable. It seemed to be too controlled. Was he nervous? Because, if he indeed was, that was a side of him Lily was facing for the first time. And it surprised her so much, much more than she expected. He usually was confident, bossy and sure about everything. No worries, no setbacks. And now? He was nervous. Nervous about what? About her answer? About what she thought about his present? _She_ made him nervous? That felt –.

"I thought of this, because..." he stopped for a bit, and Lily guessed he was trying to find the right words to express himself. "I couldn't afford something else"

She was shocked. She was too shocked to utter even a word, because she didn't expect _that_. She believed that he brought his broom for a present because he wanted to give her a ride before school, so she would have already an experience on flying. Tomorrow was their big day by attending Hogwarts, and she had told him she was afraid the whole taking-my-broom-and-fly-away thing. She believed that he didn't want her to get fooled in their first flying lesson. But _that_ was something out of mind.

He was right, though. He wouldn't be able to buy her something, if he couldn't afford for some better clothes for himself. All these years she didn't remember him ware something new, even a new pair of socks. In her eyes he was great, but the truth was that he _was_ poor. She knew that he was living in Spinner's End. It was an exiguous suburb of Cokeworth, where everything was old and rusty. She had asked him about it once, but didn't want to be snooper so she asked nothing about his family. She could only hope that both of his parents had at least golden hearts.

Now that she thought about it, maybe this was the reason he hadn't come to her party. Maybe he was ashamed about his outfit, and that's why he had said he had to help his mother with something she hadn't understood. If that was it, she felt so sad for him. Not sorry, but sad. It wasn't fair, because he was such a great kid. He had told her the previous day to meet him tonight at the meadow to celebrate her birthday with him as well, and she was glad that she had started sleeping again to her room about a week ago.

"Okay, I'm taking you home" That was a final hurt statement of his.

"No no! Wait!" Lily cried, cursing herself. He must have thought that she wasn't comfortable with this, or that she hated it, because she hadn't spoken at all. Well, fine, at the beginning she hate it more than ever, she hated him too for doing this to her, but that was at the beginning. Right now she loved it, not just because he was the one that flew the broom, and she trusted him (although she would never, ever, touch or ride a broom by herself. Ever!) but also because of the precious sight he had shared with her.

Lily tilted her head to the side and looked at his face, which he was trying to keep harder than usual. She couldn't deny how beautiful he was; his face angles fit great to him; his eyes, dark and full of fire, looked concentrated in front of them the night sky and the golden stars; his lips shut together tight. She felt his whole body tensed, on the ready to rescue her, if she fell like an idiot from the broom, his hands holding the wooden stick all the time. His dark blue jacket was old, she could see that now, and its sleeves had gotten a little upwards from his position on the broom. She could see the magic leather bracelet she had given him almost a month ago, and she was so pleased, because he wore it. Because he was too important to her. Because she wanted him to be safe. Because someone had to take care of him as well.

"It is wonderful..." she murmured, sure that he heard her, despite that he remained silent. She pushed herself forward and kissed softly his cheek. "Thank you..."

* * *

**That's chapter 3. I had a really great time writing it. Maybe because of the sweet young innocence in it, already knowing what will happen next... All I can say is patience :Ρ ****Also, I would like to inform you that these first chapters are somehow soft, because of Lily and Jason's young age. I can't make an eleven year old child act like a teenager, I'm sure you understand that :) Remember... the war hasn't started yet…**

**As you already might know, reviews are welcome :P Take care :)**

**Fanfic Themes:  
watch?v=xOm2fLucQ9g  
****watch?v=sb128ypOvLE**  



	5. Chapter 4

**Harry Potter is not mine :)  
Enjoy!**

* * *

_Why should I be afraid to die? I belong to you.  
If I go first, I'll wait for you there, on the other side of the dark waters.  
Be with me now.._

_-The Thin Red Line_

* * *

**Chapter 4**

It was so crowded. Lily already knew that was going to be too crowded; same old same old. But it was nice. It was really nice, because it was about time. Finally. And she was _sooo_ exited. Besides, she was preparing for that moment for as long as she could remember. She had been there again, lots of times, at the King's Cross Station, seeing Teddy's last trips to Hogwarts, seeing the Weasleys go, most of them cursing about their attendance, and later James and Albus' leavening for the first time, being ready for their brand new school adventures full of magic. She was always staying behind with mom and dad, and Hugo, which was too irritating.

She couldn't believe that the time had come, that it was _her_ time to board the Hogwarts Express. Well, she had always known she would be extremely happy when her new school life would start, but being _that_ enthusiastic by leaving her home and going to a completely unfamiliar place for a whole year, to a castle filled up with magic and secrets, yes, that was something she now thought both weird and sweet. Later in the future, when she would think about that moment of her life, that specific only one moment, she would wish she had never got that train.

"Do you think I'm gonna be a Slytherin?" asked Lily innocently, with her face almost red by trying not to burst into laughter.

"Oh, my little sister" joined James dramatically. "Have you fears of being sorted into Slytherin?"

"M- Maybe" murmured Lily, coughing to hide her laugh.

James sighed heavily and shook his head, his face becoming sad and sophisticated at the same time. He was good! "I'm afraid, you little, that _I_ cannot help you"

Lily sighted the same dramatically. "That's too bad"

"_But_" James continued, completely used to all these. "I know someone who can"

"Really?! Who?"

He sighed again, put a hand to Albus' back and hit him lightly twice. He shook his head once more. "The Gryffindor Hero, of course!"

"_The Gryffindor Hero_? Who is he?" Lily pretended like her oldest brother, the happiness conspicuous in her brown eyes.

"He is the young man who, beyond all hardships, killed the Slytherin dragon and set the people of Gryffindor free!"

"Oh, that's so romantic!"

"And they lived happily ever after!"

"From now on, I have neither brother, nor sister!" announced Albus angry and indignant, his face serious.

"Gimme five, little sis!" said James and Lily couldn't resist and did so. They liked _reminding_ Albus about that old innocent moment of his, when he was about to be a First year, and bringing it up right now was just fitting perfectly. "Oh, my brave Albus, don't take it personally"

"Yeah, we're just teasing you" added Lily with a warm wide smile, the one that Albus particularly loved.

"You see?!" yelled Albus to James. "You're such a bad influence on her! She has just tried to wheedle me!"

"You're overreacting, you know. This was only a..."

James started analyzing something about intelligence, cunning and perfection, and Lily was sure enough he was going to end up in a conclusion that would be incorrect and nondescript, but James always said crazy things like that one, just to provoke Albus. She knew from the beginning that was about a pointless conversation, that Albus would try to confute the strange arguments of James, while the second one would wait for the right time to say something smart. Then, Albus would turn his bright green eyes, making a face that showed he desperately needed some kind of mercy and justice.

Yes, she already knew, but at that moment she was so happy, full of enthusiasm, that didn't mind. She listened carefully, she listened every word of each side, making her own stupid comments both in James' and Albus' theories, then laughing with her own words and herself as well. The boys were laughing too, with her, with the whole situation, with James being mature enough to be a future Head Boy, with how ridiculous would Albus seem being given a detention, with Lily's certain failure in her first flying lesson.

Someone that may look at them right now would only see three different kids, walking along the King's Cross Station, waiting for their school train, acting like goofs, their cheeks red from their giggles, their eyes lighted up with happiness. Some would ignore them, some would just smile, and some others would fill their souls with happiness as well, joining them.

That was a moment of Lily's life, with her brothers, that would be engraved in her memory forever. It was just a moment, a simple moment of the Potter kids having fun together, laughing and making fool of themselves without even care. They didn't care at all. They just enjoyed that wonderful moment, full of greatness and holiness. Yes, that moment was indeed great, it was indeed holy. It was everything that really mattered in life, everything most people ignored now. It was a moment of happiness; pure and respectable happiness.

Because it would come a time, when everyone would beg for a moment like that to come. Happiness would be a word that no one would dare to speak, because it would hurt too much, it would be unbearable for all of them, impossible to handle. Just a second of happiness would be enough, just a second to redeem them from the chaos, to give them strength so they would go on, to give them hope to believe in. Just a second, that would not come.

"You know what?" said Albus, raising both of his eyebrows at James. "I believe you would be just perfect in Weasley's Joke Shop"

"_Weasley's Wizard Wheezes_? Fred and George's shop?" asked Lily impressed.

"Yes, that one. James could easily work there" marked Albus with a proud smile, and Lily had to admit that was so clever of him. James was a teaser in his whole life, and Weasley's Joke Shop would definitely fit him great. That would be fun.

"I don't know" complained James. "Actually, I haven't even thought about it, yet. I believe it's stupid and pointless to talk about the future"

"Knowing what you wanna do in your life is never stupid, nor pointless, James"

"I don't know either" admitted Lily with a light innocent smile.

"Well, _I_ know" informed Albus both of them with a sigh "I'd like to become the future Headmaster of Hogwarts" With the end of his sentence, Lily was left speechless with excitement in her eyes, while James had a confused expression on his face.

"Is that even possible?"

"Why not be?"

"I think it's wonderful, Albus!"

"I think you need a straitjacket, _Albus!_" James imitated Lily's voice, and she hit him lightly on his belly.

"I like it" concluded Albus "And Lily likes it, so-"

"You lose, big bro!" interrupted Lily and threw her arms on James' waist. She hugged him tight, squeezed him a little, and smiled.

"You see, Albus? You got the job and I got the girl" teased James with playful brown eyes, and Lily snorted in his chest.

"Shut up" she murmured, taking one of her hands from James' waist and placing it on Albus'. She pulled him closer to them, and hugged him too. They stayed silent for a moment, both Albus and James holding Lily and Lily them. It was nice. It was warm, and sweet. It was family. It was home. It was everything they needed. It was everything _she_ needed. And it was one of their last moments together. It was one of those, one of the last ones, because they hadn't really much time together. They didn't know, but they hadn't. They didn't know, but from the moment they took that train, the final countdown started, the countdown of their end, of everybody's end.

* * *

Lily was walking along one of Hogwarts Express' carriages. She had worn her uniform only five minutes ago, just to keep herself busy. Her skirt was a little higher from her knees in a charcoal grey color, her stockings black as well as her shoes, simple and flat. She was wearing a plain white buttoned shirt with a black tie on it, though the bright color didn't show as much as she wished, because of her black silver fastened robe, its length the same with her skirt's. Her red hair was the only color on her.

She had said her goodbyes to both of her lovely parents, promising she would be fine, and kind, and do all of her homework. She had also hugged Hermione and Ron, telling them she would love to be in the same House with Hugo. She had kissed Teddy like a million times, happy to see him, happier to see he made it and came to her very first farewell. Before she got on the train, Lily whispered to his ear _I took your crystal ball with me_, and he hugged her tighter than ever, kissing twice the top of her head. _Be careful_, he murmured, seeing further than she did at the moment.

She was walking slowly, pretending she was looking for an empty compartment. She didn't really care that much, though she scanned every single compartment she found. There was always a place for her to sit and await her arrival to Hogwarts, with students in her age. And there was always some of them who invited her to join their company. But she always responded negatively, lying that she had already a shit and had just gone to change into her robes. Then she smiled innocently and moved forward to do exactly the same.

The last time she saw Jason was yesterday, early in the morning, when she met him in the meadow. They had ridden his broom and reached the night sky, wrapped with stars and the moon. He had left her in her bedroom, and she remembered clearly his beautiful smile when she kissed his cheek once more. She stood on her window and watched him flying away, becoming one with the darkness outside as he fended away. She was terribly impatient to see him on the Platform Nine and Three-Quarters when the sun would rise, in the morning.

But he wasn't there. He was nowhere. Lily had her eyes wide open, hoping to see his dark figure somewhere among the crowd, his hair messy and his eyes dark but lighten up. He would watch her from afar and smile at her, walking fast towards her with his trunks, ready for their magical adventures. He would laugh and make jokes about her excitement, and would talk about their subjects, preparing her for the first lesson of each one, because he somehow already knew everything of their reading material. He somehow knew _everything_ that had to do with magic.

She didn't find him, though. She waited and waited, she went up and down along the station, but she didn't see him anywhere. She kept reminding herself he may have been already boarded, and she may find him inside the train. That calmed her down a little bit, but when the train left the station and she still didn't know where he was, she completely and undoubtedly panicked. If he had suddenly decided not to attend Hogwarts? If he wasn't going to take the Hogwarts Express at all? What was she going to do? What was she going to do _without him_?

"Oh! Uh!" she groaned awkwardly, trying to keep her balance, but it didn't work and she would have fallen, if he hadn't caught her in time. Lily raised her eyes to see brown hair and hazel eyes. He was pale as the rest of them, his face soft, and his cheeks inflatable, but she knew they would certainly go away as he would grow up. His gaze was deep as the ocean in a sunny morning.

"I'm sorry" she apologized, but he seemed not to really care that she crashed jerkily into him. She might have hit him in some strange way, and she blushed because the embarrassment was too much.

"It's cool" he said, taking his hands from her arm and waist. He smiled. "I'm David Wood"

"Lily Potter"

"So _you_ are the last Potter" somebody marked behind David. She hadn't noticed him earlier. He was a little chubby, with light brown hair and green eyes. He was looking at her like a succulent snuck he was about to gobble with fury, a weird smile on his face. "I'm Michael Harrow" he introduced himself, giving her hand a sweaty shake with an undesirable intimacy.

"You must be looking for a compartment" David spoke with comeliness. His eyes were on her all the time, starring and starring silently. She didn't like it.

"Well... actually I-"

"You should come and sit with us" interrupted Michael. She just couldn't stop herself of thinking how rude he was. And nauseous. He was one of these people who seemed invidious from the very first time you would meet them, because they indeed were invidious in their everyday life. When she looked better at him, she was disgusted by witnessing his greasy face and unwashed hair, his short legs and huge belly.

"Yes, come" David whispered, still scanning her tiny figure. What was his problem anyway?

"You know, I have somewhere to go, so..." Lily tried to excuse herself with a calm and nice voice, but David grabbed unexpectedly her wrist and started walking with quick steps along the carriage. "Hey, wait!" she groaned, making efforts to take her hand away from him, but David didn't let her. His grasp didn't loose. Instead, it became unlikely tight, tighter than it was before, and later Lily would find a dark brush at that spot. She tried again, but David didn't even turn to look at her. "I should really be going"

"Oh, come on!" Michael growled like a little spoiled fat child, his voice making her sick and nervous. "Don't be lame!"

David stayed silent, just walking straight ahead, forcing her to go with him. "No, you don't understand! _I have to go!_" she tried again, but it was like none of them listened. Were they deaf? Were they crazy? What were they doing?

They entered the next carriage. Lily was looking constantly on her left, inside the full compartments, hoping for someone to help her. Most of the students were busy with conversations and light magic they were practicing, not paying attention at the little girl outside their door. Some others, who gratefully met her eyes, didn't seem to understand she was in trouble, because except herself, both David and Michael were calm and steady. She didn't have enough time, either, to make a clear nod _Please! I need help!_, because the boys were also fast.

In her eyes, the whole carriage seemed to losing its light, and warmth, and happiness. Now, she thought it was a huge resistant box that had trapped her, making her escape impossible. All of her earlier enthusiasm was gone, and now she would do anything just to return home. No one stood in their way. It was like the whole train was abandoned and she had been left behind to die alone, except that everyone was on their seats. She was definitely losing it.

She started breathing faster, though she felt there was no air for her. The beating of her heart took a quick race, and she expected it would break any minute now. She had lost her way, and couldn't go back again. The grasp on her wrist was too strong for her to release herself and run away, and her panic was defeating her. She couldn't see clearly, white and blue dots were staining her view, and she believed she was going to faint. Which would be nice, she thought.

"I need to go" she heard herself begging her trapper helplessly, but everyone ignored her. She pulled her hand back with much more power than before, she pulled it again and again, shaking and terrified, but with no results. "Please!" she cried, her eyes shining from the tears that were going to spurt. "Let me go! Please!" she was screaming now, she hoped she did but didn't know if it worked. She _had_ to get away from them. "Leave me alone! Leave me alone! Hel-"

"Take your fucking hands _off _of her!" shouted someone, and she thought her heart would explode because of the relief that consumed her. At once she was free to go. She fell on his arms, still shaking, her hands cold, her wrist numb. She filled her lungs with his lovely scent, and surrendered she started crying. "If you touch her _again_..." he threatened, his eyes full of darkness, his beautiful face harder than ever. Lily could see that vein on his forehead, somewhere between his messy hair. His body reminded venomous snake ready to kill.

"She was coming with us to find a seat" pointed Michael, his pose completely haughty. Nobody listened. Nobody cared about him. Jason had locked his furious eyes with David's cold and irritated. They didn't move, just stood opposite of each other, and if looks killed, they would be in terrible danger.

"She was coming with her will" snapped David, and it seemed it was too easy for him to lie. To lie on her face, because she already knew the exact truth. He had grabbed her out of nowhere, and forced her to follow him, without reason or her permission, while he didn't even know her. That was insane. Who did these things?

"If she was coming with her will, she wouldn't _scream for help_, you asshole!" yelled Jason in David's face, and when Lily peeped over Jason's shoulder, she gulped with their audience out of the compartments. The crowd was starring silent, completely focused on the motionless fight. She didn't recognize any of them.

"Mind your own business, freak!"

"Keep your hands for yourself, or I'll rip them off of your helpless body!"

"You're in big trouble, ferret!"

"We'll see who's in big trouble. Don't see you around her ever again, got me?"

"I'll do whatever I want. I'm not afraid of you!"

"Oh, you should!"

"What? You'll bring your daddy to kiss my ass?"

Jason froze. He stopped breathing, and if Lily wasn't listening to his heart from his chest, she would believe he had a heart attack. She raised her eyes to look at his face. It was emotionless. You couldn't say what he was thinking or how he felt at the moment, and that was what made him scary, really scary. It made him frightening, a bomb that would absolutely kill you and you didn't know when would explode. His fists clenched the fabric of her robe, the only move of his. She didn't know what was going on. _With him._

David saw Jason's reaction and his face strutted. He was speechless, just like the rest of them, waiting nervously for the next move. But statues don't move, so why Jason make an exception? He just stood there, still, his hands around her waist, his fists on her robe. At first, she thought he was staring David, ready to attack him or something, but when she focused her gaze on his dark eyes, she knew he didn't see a thing. He was lost to his own thoughts and she couldn't know how awful they were. She couldn't imagine.

"Hey..." she whispered in his neck and cupped one of his hands. She couldn't know anything about him, because he never spoke about his life, his dreams and desires. He never spoke about his family, either, so she couldn't know if his father was dead or alive, sick or healthy to explain the affect David's insult had on him. She didn't know anything, but it didn't matter at that moment, because he was lost. _He was lost..._

Jason swallowed, his eyesight returned on David, and his fists unclenched. "Let it go. They're just scums" Lily murmured softly on his neck, then looked at David and Michael with deadly eyes. "Nothing more but scums"

She turned and walked upstream, making clear that the show was over. The students went back to their compartments, whispering about the brand new gossip they would definitely share with the rest of the school. That was certainly a bad start, a really bad start, but she hoped it would be the only trouble they would face. So naïve of her. And so stupid. Because there was a War that was about to break out, and a lonely boy with lots of dark secrets that would define the fate of the whole world.

* * *

Jason was about to walk away, but he regretted it and turned back to look at David's cheap face. Lily couldn't see him, she couldn't hear him; she thought he was following her. Jason's eyes were cold, dark, and lethal. His jaw was closed so tight, that his gums were in pain. He ignored them. He bent his face towards David's, enjoying the fact that he was way taller than the arse in front of him, and smirked maliciously. He raised an eyebrow before he spoke noiselessly. "One day, I'll kill you"

It was something David didn't expect, and Jason saw the shock inside his eyes, before David tried to hide it and pretend the tough man. "Is this a warning?" he hissed, his expression arrogant because he didn't know with who he had just started a fight. He had _no_ clue, which amused Jason way much. He gave David one last dangerous, deadly smirk, and raised his other eyebrow as well.

"A promise" he nodded, and reached Lily's side with great strides.

* * *

**Here is chapter 4, and it was about time! :D It all starts nooow! Any guesses?  
Thanks a lot for your reviews :)**

**Fanfic Themes:  
watch?v=xOm2fLucQ9g  
****watch?v=sb128ypOvLE**  



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